Thursday, February 18, 2016

I-66 Transportation Project Deal

The 2016 General Assembly Session has officially reached the halfway point
known as Crossover, the deadline for each house to complete work on their own
bills before sending them down the hall to the other chamber. Last week,
committees and subcommittees worked diligently to hear all the legislation in
time to get it to the floor for a vote before the deadline. As that deadline
approached, we voted on and debated more than 200 bills and resolutions this
past Monday.

Next month, I'll provide a wrap up of all the bills that passed both houses
and are likely to be signed by the Governor.
This month, though, the biggest news affecting my constituents is the deal
between legislative leaders and the Governor to unclog Interstate 66. The deal
is a combination of widening within the existing right of way to add capacity and
allowing non-HOV vehicles to use the road during restricted hours by paying a
toll.

The deal proposes to convert I-66 inside the beltway to Express Lanes during
rush hours in the peak directions, widen I-66 eastbound from the Dulles
Connector Road, and improve transit service throughout the corridor.

During the morning and evening rush hours, carpoolers with two or more
people will continue to ride for free when the dynamic tolling is scheduled to
begin in 2017. Solo drivers can also use the lanes provided that they pay the
toll based on the distance traveled.

Starting in 2020, the lanes will be free to carpoolers with three or more
people during rush hours while everyone else will pay a variable toll. However,
the lanes will remain free during off-peak periods and there will be no tolling
for reverse commuters.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) will use all the
revenue raised from the tolls for improvements involving new transit services
and carpooling incentives. Current revenue estimates for 2018 is $18 million.

Eliminating the current bottleneck inside the beltway, the increased
revenues from the FAST Act and the revised state revenue forecast will provide
funding for environmental work and construction to widen I-66 eastbound from
the Dulles Connector Road to Ballston.

Construction costs are estimated to be $140 million, which will be funded
with increased revenues from the FAST Act and the projected improved state
revenues.

This I-66 Project is projected to reduce
more than 26,000 person hours of delay per day, move more than 40,000
additional people through the I-66 corridor per day, provide reliable travel
speeds of at least 45 mph during rush hours in the peak direction, and allow
increased travel choices for single-occupant drivers plus overall better
transit service.

VDOT Design Public Hearing

On Wednesday, March 9th, VDOT will host a Design Public
Hearing at their NOVA District Office (4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax) from 6:00pm
to 8:00pm with a presentation at 6:30pm. The presentations will be
live-streamed on the Transform66.org website.The Design Public Hearing will provide opportunities for the public to:

Learn how the
dynamically-priced toll lanes will operate on I-66 Inside the Beltway

Given
the impact this transportation deal will have on Northern Virginia and the 53rd
District, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Please email me at DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov with your
questions and comments.